However, they exist no more. Supposedly.
It was cold. Summer long gone and the autumn chill descended throughout the land. There would be golden leaves raining from the sky, layering the earth with a crunchy and crispy crust. The fields dotted in vegetables and the trees laden with fruit. A grand harvest awaits. And there would be much to celebrate. But not here. Not at the Ruins.
Where the North River intersects the East River, there lays a massive town. But this town was long ridden with plagues and soon became desolate. The stick and straw huts rotted away. The fields lay barren. The only evidence of this town's existence are the fine marble stones of its great castle's wall. Here, they are scattered. Eroded by the elements. Worn by time. Only a shell of its former glory.
It was Rouge. A great town with prosperous wealth and abundance. A place that bustled with activity. A meeting place for the rich. A market place for the merchants. A playground for the young. A rest for the old. This town was everything. The beginning of an adventure. The end of a legacy. But now, it was stripped of everything. And the passing generation only ever called it: The Ruins.
The bitter wind howled. The gust picked up dust and rocks and hurled it against the crumbling marble walls. Inside the castle walls was a small campfire. A campfire which 3 bandits huddled around.
"Damn it! It's too cold to be out here!"
"Oh, shut up and quit complainin'" a second voice returned. "We got the goods, and we even got somethin' extra."
"Let's go to da next town and sell off all o' dis," the first voice complained, "It's too cold here. I'm gonna freeze ta death!" He rubbed his hands together furiously. As if hoping the friction would warm his hands even a little.
"Thinkin' bout the cold ain't gonna do you any good!" chuckled the second voice. "You gotta think 'bout sumthing else! Hey! Why don't you tell us a good story mate?" Giving a heavy pat on the back to the third man who was quiet all this time. "You know some good stories, don't cha?"
"H-hu-rrry up! I'm-m-m fr-freezing over h-h-here…" interjected the cold one.
The third bandit looked lazily at his companions. Then he glanced around the destitute landscape. "I got a story…" He drawled. "Wanna know 'bout dis ruins?"
"Youse drunk!" The first bandit commented has he got up and sat himself on the other side of the third bandit. He crept closer to the fire, careful not the burn himself. But he leaned in, so as he could hear his companions over the howling wind.
"I wanna drink!" The second bandit interjected. He gave a good hearty laugh and tossed another log into the fire.
"C-c-come on an' tell us da story! Anything to stop dis nasty cold!" Bandit 1 complained again.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah… I'm startin'" Taking a swig from his flask and pocketing it before Bandit 2 could rob him of his drink. "So dis place used ta be a big town. It had a mighty castle and everythin'"
"Even sexy tarts?" (Bandit 1)
"Yeah, it was a big prosperin' township…the biggest in all daland." (Bandit 3)
"What 'bout the booze? Gotta have booze aight?" (Bandit 2)
"Yeah, there was alotta that too. Had lotsa pubs and places." (Bandit 3) Before his friends could interrupt some more, he continued.
"So anyways, dis town, Red, no wait… dat ain't what it was called." He scratched his head.
"What's da name then?" (Bandit 1)
"Maybe… I think my ole granddad said it was Ruby…" (Bandit 3)
"Nah, man, I don't remember no town named after no rock!" Trying to pickpocket his friend for the flask only to have his hand slapped. "Geez justa sip wouldn't hurt cha know?" (Bandit 2)
"No way, I ain't gonna have any left fur myseeeelfff," Bandit 3 started to slur a bit.
"Come on and continue!" whined Bandit 1. He was started to get restless. He wanted to know about these ruins and the stories. Anything to take his mind off the cold, which was going well until now. "I'm all cold 'gain. Look whatcha done!" He wailed.
"Yeah, yeah, quit complainin' so dis town, whatever it was called, was prosperous cause it was protected by a drag'n." (Bandit 3)
"A drag'n? Like a real DRA-GON?" Bandit 1 perked up and instantly forgot about the cold.
"There ain't no drag'n! Ain't any now and ain't any then!" Bandit 2 argued. "Youse just fillin' the boy's head wid no-sense and fairy tails!"
"Aw… shuddap…" Tossing Bandit 2 the craved-for flask. Which effectively shut the man up. "So anyways, dis drag'n was powerful and he protected all da people."
"Everyone?" Eyes wide in wonder as Bandit 1 looked at his companion in awe.
"Well, not everyone, just da people in the kingdom."
"Why would a drag'n do that?" (Bandit 1)
"Cause da king brought him treasure. A treasure dat the drag'n wanted…somethin' like thaaa…"
"So what happened to dis place? Why 'sit all ruins now? Don't the drag'n protects it?" Bandit 1 bombarded the storyteller with questions.
But these questions were not answered. He was asleep and so was the other guy with an empty flask in his hand. Unsatisfied, but tired, the inquisitive bandit went to sleep.
Chapter 1.
Furihata kouki was cold. She shivered. "Why is it so cold? Did someone left the window open? Sure… the bedroom was above the tavern but it wasn't a good way to leave windows open…" Suddenly… Furihata realized something was strange. She felt around… this was a burlap bag.
"OH NO! SHE'S BEING KIDNAPPED!" Furihata panicked. Struggling Furihata tried to get out of the bag. As if flailing her limbs would work, yet only succeeded in making bag fall over with a heavy thud.
"Whatzzzat noise…?"
She heard someone shuffling around. The brunette immediately stopped moving and did her best to control her breathing.
Suddenly, the top of the bag opened up! A man with a flask in his hand appeared.
"Nopppeeee, all's good, da wench is still in the baggggg" the strange man said as he trundled off.
Furihata was scared stiff and her body refused to move. She had to get out! These people could be slave traders! Who knows what could happen to her if she was sold off. Terrible things for sure. It was always terrible. Slaves that escaped only spoke of horrors. Horrors that she couldn't possibly imagine. And imagine it she didn't want to. She wanted to go home. Back to the tavern, back to safety. She was probably kidnapped from her bed. It was that window. The window that was stupidly left open…And then it hit her… the man forgot to tie up the sack again!
Furihata escaped.
The wind started to pick up its howling. It was a terribly cold. Furihata wore nothing but a frock. She trudged on. She had to get away. As far as she could go. Or they would find her.
Furihata looked around her. The marble sides seemed to block her in as she tried to navigate her way out. Even if they were just crumbling ruins, the grounds was very big. She scampered back and forth, hoping that her footsteps could not be heard.
She ran and ran.
And she stumbled into a secret corridor. She quickly made her way through. Carefully listening for any other sounds of movement. Did they follow her? She was afraid. And in a moment of clumsiness, she tripped.
Down a stairwell.
Down and down she fell.
How long it was, who can tell?
Falling and rolling deeper and deeper into the darkness. Furihata shut her eyes and held her limbs close so they wouldn't be broken. It was too much stress on her mental state and Furihata passed out.
Something cold. Why was it always cold. Furihata shivered. She clutched her frock closer to her. She was tired and exhausted. Furihata started to cry. She wanted to go home. Back to her friends. Back to a warm bed. But it was cold. So cold.
~~~uuu~~~~~uuuuu~~~~~
She rubbed her eyes. It was so dark. There's nothing to see.
But she could hear. A distant movement. The cold ground beneath her shook. The clinking sounds of metal echoed off the walls. She stopped crying. Furihata became quiet, listening to the rumbling around her and feeling the ground quake and move. She sat…and trembled.
Suddenly she felt lifted up. The sound of metal rained down. And she felt scales. Cold hard scales. Though it was too dark to see she could feel. The room suddenly became warmer
After calming her own heart beat…she could hear another. A deep rumble. A steady breathing. Furihata shifted her balance as if to stand up. She wanted to run. (which would be a terrible mistake if she did…but fortunately for us all she didn't).
A blinding light spewed forth from seemingly no where. Reflexively Furihata shut her eyes and her hands shot out to cover her eyes. The room became warm. Slowly she peeked through the slips of her hands. There were torches and they were lit. And something. Something big was in front of her. She uncovered her eyes completely.
And there before her stood a red scaled beast of great size.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh" Furihata screamed and lost her balance. She fell. But instead of hitting the floor, she was caught by the beast's claws.
The claws wrapped around her and brought her closers to the beast's face. And Furihata saw…it was a dragon. A dragon with heterochromatic red and gold eyes.
"Hello."